A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.

When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

Cassandra Clare certainly does not disappoint. The first sentence already gripped me tight and pulled me back into the Shadow World. Lord of Shadows is packed full of action, witty remarks, and cliffhangers. I would not expect any less from Clare!

The character development was spot on. Especially Kit's. Originally, his intentions was to run away from the Institute and return to his previous life, but the relationships he built with the Blackthorns made him hesitate. I loved how he began to warm up to the life as a Shadowhunter. Also, his friendship with Ty is so sweet, I think Kit is the one of the few people who actually understand him. I would not be surprised if they became parabatai. I hope to see more of their friendship in the next book. It was also quite funny how in this book, there is also quite a few mentions to mundane lifestyle, especially with Kit and his mundane references/knowledge.

Mark, Kieran and Cristina dance around each other so much that it makes me dizzy and exasperated. Mark and Kieran are definitely a thing - they still have feelings (however confusing and on/off) for each other, and Cristina is like the third person in the equation. Both Mark and Kieran show feelings romantic? Platonic?) for Cristina, which makes it seem like it's leaning towards polyamory. But then there's Diego and his relationship with Cristina. The romance in this book is so confusing and complicated.

The plot was a roller coaster. I was never bored reading the book, every moment was exciting and intriguing. This trilogy is more focused on the Fae, a previously Downworlder group that was often shied away from. The way the Cohort (basically a group of racist Shadowhunters) acts towards Downworlders is unsurprisingly familiar compared to our world, and I'm scared to see what will happen next, especially since it seems that they are gaining popularity and support from other Shadowhunters, *spoiler alert* or most certainly will gain support after Annabel killed Robert. Just imagine the chaos and spurred hatred that Shadowhunters would act on, making the Cohort even more powerful! *end spoiler* I mean, there are extreme ideas concerning the Downworlders suggested by the Cohort, which actually mirrors how some people view others in our world. It's scary, but sadly, quite common.

The last chapter was extremely intense, with so much going on, I had to reread some paragraphs to make sure it really happened. *MAJOR spoiler alert* I absolutely CANNOT believe that heart-breaking cliffhanger. Livvy is dead! NOOOOOO. I can't begin to imagine how that would affect the Blackthorns, especially Julian and Ty. I fear that Julian will become even more heartless and ruthless - as it was already hinted at in this book. And Ty? He might become even more closed off from everyone. Hopefully Kit will be able to help him through it all.*spoiler over*

I also want to praise Cassandra Clare for the diversity in her books. In this book, we find out more about Diana's history, and that *spoiler alert* she is actually transgender. *spoiler over* The more diversity, the better! I think it's good that authors are including more LGBTQ+ characters in their books, because representation is important. Also, Alec and Magnus play a larger part in this book, and I loved reading about the Lightwood-Bane family. So cute!

I don't know if I can wait that long for the next book. How am I supposed to live after reading that last chapter?? I'll just try to survive until then...

My Chosen Quote

“There is truth in one of your paintings, boy or in a sunset or a couplet from Homer. Fiction is truth, even if it is not a fact. If you believe only in facts and forget stories, your brain will live, but your heart will die.”